Chirenjenzie (pronounced Ky-ren-jen-zee) is a group of writers, bloggers, and readers who met on twitter. This is the place where we can honestly voice our opinions on reviews, the publishing industry, and just about anything else!

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Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Review: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

A mysterious island.

An abandoned orphanage.

A strange collection of very curious photographs.

It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for
Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and
photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific
family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off
the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s
Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and
hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They
may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island
for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be
alive.

A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children
will delight adults, teens, and anyone who relishes an adventure in the shadows. (From Goodreads.)

I have conflicting emotions about this story. Certain
aspects are beyond incredible, while others made the read barely tolerable. I
laid it down for two weeks about halfway through and didn't give it a second
thought. I did pick it back up, but it didn't exactly "stick" with
me. For that reason, I don't feel I can fairly rate the story, but here are my thoughts.

The Good: I've
never read a story quite like this. It's completely unique in every way. The pictures
and ideas behind them are brilliant! They really added a special touch to the
plot. Another plus, I appreciated reading a story from a guy's POV. It adds a
different flavor that's much appreciated. The time travel/sci-fi feel was a neat
idea, and it worked well to fall under a multi-genre kind of story. The
writing was witty and Riggs has a humorous way with descriptions. I loved the quirky, Tim Burton-esque feel
of the story. The settings were just phenomenal!
Riggs nailed the eerie factor on this one. A scarcely populated island.
An enormous, creepy manor. The "bad" guys … Just perfect. And his
lead-ups into scary scenes were very well done.

The Mediocre: Some
of the characters lacked depth. I found it frustrating to want to know more or
expect more in a certain scene, only to be disappointed. Explanations fell
short in some places, leaving me confused or unsatisfied that everything had
played out fully. There were times where the story stalled, as if he'd run out
of ideas and was just looking to fill the white spots in the pages. In the end
(as much as I hate to say it), I don't feel like the story lived up to its
potential. I think Riggs would've benefited from a little more exploration in
the characters a little bit at a time as opposed to this is xxx and their power and this is what xxx can do. It felt rushed.
A picture isn't enough to truly see a character. It would've been nice to have
Riggs show us with writing versus relying on the photographs. More often than not,
opportunities were missed to really make it sing.

All in all, it's a decent read. Fans of Burton and all things eclectic will like it. I did enjoy Riggs writing style and would recommend Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children ... just don't get your hopes up too much.